60 NOTES FROM THE BOTANIC GARDENS, NO. YIIL, 



UMBELLIFER^. 

 ACTINOTLS FORSYTHII, Sp.llOV. 



Blacklieath, Blue Mountains (W. Forsytli; February, 1902). 



An ascending much-branched annual or biennial attaining 

 about 1 foot in height, with somewhat striate, terete, rather wir}^ 

 stems, sparingly covered with appressed hairs. Leaves ^ to 1 

 inch long, glabrous on both sides or nearly so, generally twice 

 ternately divided, the segments often again lobed or toothed, the 

 ultimate lobes tending to linear-lanceolate, acute, with recurved 

 or thickened margins, the radical ones and lower stem-leaves on 

 petioles often above 1 inch long, the upper ones gradually more 

 sessile and less divided. Umbels on long slender peduncles. 

 Involucre radiating to I inch in diameter in the largest umbels 

 seen; the bracts lanceolate, acute, about 12 in number, densely 

 hairy inside with long white silky hairs, nearly glabrous outside, 

 often brownish and conspicuously 1- or 3-veined. Flowers 

 numerous, on slender glabrous pedicels, a few of the outer ones 

 often male, without any ovarium; rarely the males are in several 

 rows at the circumference. Calyx limb truncate or sinuate-lobed, 

 glabrous. Petals small, spathulate, on slender claws. Stamens 

 on slender filaments with violet anthers. Fruit densel}^ ciliate 

 on the edges with long white hairs, the flat sides glabrous and 

 dark brown when ripe, with a prominent rib along the centre. 



In affinities it is more closely allied to the beautiful West 

 Australian A. leucocephalus than to an}^ of the East Australian 

 species of Actinotus, though its general ajDpearance is more like a 

 large flowered form of our modest A. minor. It is the only East 

 Australian Actinotus with petals, and has also a truncate calyx 

 in common with A. leucocephalus, but differs from this species 

 chiefly in the fruit, apart from the more striking but less essential 

 difference of size, length of involucral bracts, and indumentum. 

 Like A. Gihhonsii it has a peculiar fruit with densely ciliate edges 

 and glabrous carinate sides, but nothing else in common with this 

 species. 



